AI Image Generation: Which Model to Choose
Review of 13 AI models for image creation
AI Image Generation: Every Model Explained
Neural networks now paint faster than any human artist. The question is: which network, in which mode, for which job? One nails cinematic photorealism, another delivers concept art, a third specializes in polished anime.
Below you'll find 13 models side by side — each section includes a live example picked to showcase that model's killer feature. Everything runs on Clipia with one shared credit balance — see pricing.
Two modes: T2I and I2I
Text-to-Image (T2I)
Write a description, the model renders an image from scratch. The more precise your prompt, the more predictable the result.
Image-to-Image (I2I)
Upload a source photo, the model modifies it: style transfer, editing, background swap, detail refinement. Supported by: GPT Image 1.5, FLUX Kontext, Grok Imagine, Higgsfield Soul.
The 13 models
Midjourney V7 — the artistic benchmark
The reference for anything where aesthetics matter. 1000+ styles, 2K output, three speed tiers (Turbo/Fast/Relaxed). The stylize, chaos, weird parameters let you dial in the vibe.
Strongest in fashion, fantasy and architecture. Not the right tool for in-image typography.
Midjourney V7Avant-garde fashion editorial portrait of a Korean model wearing an architectural pleated cream gown, sharp geometric shadows sculpting her face, brutalist concrete backdrop, Vogue Paris aesthetic, high contrast, 35mm film grain, cinematic color gradingModel: Midjourney V7 — editorial fashion portrait with a distinct mood.
Credits: from 8 • Try it →
FLUX 2 Pro — prompt accuracy and in-image text
Does exactly what you wrote. Best prompt adherence of any generator. 2K, ~10 seconds. Excellent at typography inside the image — banners, posters, labels.
:::example{src="https://media.clipia.ai/blog/image-generation-model-guide/flux-2-pro-coffee-poster.jpg" prompt="Minimalist coffee shop poster design with large handwritten headline "MORNING RITUAL — Single Origin Ethiopia, brewed since 2019", cream paper background, botanical ink illustrations of coffee cherries and leaves, refined editorial print layout, crisp typography, high-end specialty cafe branding" model="FLUX 2 Pro"}
Model: FLUX 2 Pro — the headline renders cleanly, print composition holds together.
Credits: from 3 • Try it →
GPT Image 1.5 (OpenAI) — typography and editing champion
Three things set it apart:
- In-image text — best in class. Long sentences, Cyrillic, special characters.
- Up to 16 reference images — merges elements from every source.
- Transparent backgrounds (RGBA PNG) — the only model that natively outputs this.
Two modes: Medium (faster) and High (max detail).
:::example{src="https://media.clipia.ai/blog/image-generation-model-guide/gpt-image-infographic.png" prompt="Clean modern infographic poster with large Russian headline "Как работает AI-генерация", four numbered steps "1. Промпт", "2. Модель", "3. Пиксели", "4. Результат", each with a flat minimal icon, soft pastel palette (mint, peach, lavender), generous whitespace, editorial magazine layout, ultra readable typography" model="GPT Image 1.5"}
Model: GPT Image 1.5 — one of the few that renders long Cyrillic phrases confidently.
Credits: 2–8 • Try it →
Imagen 4 (Google) — photographic detail
Three tiers: Ultra (max quality), Standard (balanced), Fast (quick iterations). Photorealism, correct anatomy, believable material textures.
Imagen 4 UltraExtreme close-up photograph of an elderly Portuguese fisherman's weathered face, deep wrinkles mapping decades at sea, salt spray droplets clinging to his grey beard, the ocean reflected in his piercing blue eyes, overcast diffused natural light, shallow depth of field, National Geographic portrait photographyModel: Imagen 4 Ultra — skin, eyes and materials land close to documentary photography.
Credits: 2–5 • Try it →
SeedDream 5.0 Lite — speed and multimodality
3K, multimodal AI, fast inference. Handles complex multi-part prompts.
SeedDream 5.0 LiteCyberpunk ramen chef behind a glass counter in a neon-lit Tokyo alley at 3am, thick steam rising from bowls, a holographic menu floating above the counter, rain puddle reflections on pavement below, three customers queueing under transparent umbrellas, wide cinematic composition, Blade Runner color palette, intricate layered detailsModel: SeedDream 5.0 Lite — holds the multi-layer scene together without collapsing detail.
Credits: from 3 • Try it →
Seedream 4.5 — 4K and multi-image fusion
4K output, multi-image fusion: merge several source images into a single composition.
Seedream 4.5Aerial 4K photograph of an Icelandic black sand beach at sunrise, turquoise glacier chunks scattered across the volcanic sand, soft pink sky reflected in wet tidal patches, lone wooden shipwreck in the distance, zero people, documentary landscape photography, National Geographic style, razor-sharp detailModel: Seedream 4.5 — 4K output preserves grain, highlights and horizon cleanly.
Credits: from 3 • Try it →
Nano Banana 2 — hyperrealism from 3 credits
Fast hyperrealism, 4K, Image Search. The cheapest entry point — ideal for prompt iteration.
Nano Banana 2Candid street photography of a young female street musician playing violin in a Parisian metro station, motion-blurred commuters passing by on either side, warm tungsten platform lighting, Leica 35mm look, grainy photojournalism aesthetic, sense of movement and solitudeModel: Nano Banana 2 — quick reportage style, motion blur reads well.
Credits: from 3 • Try it →
Nano Banana Pro — premium hyperrealism
Upgraded detail and light handling. When you need hyperrealism at studio-shoot quality.
Nano Banana ProUltra high-end studio product photograph of a luxury mechanical skeleton watch resting on black Italian velvet, macro lens view revealing exposed gears and ruby bearings, sapphire crystal catching a sharp rim-light reflection, shallow depth of field, commercial photography for Hodinkee, razor-detailed materialsModel: Nano Banana Pro — studio product shot with believable light play on metal and glass.
Credits: from 5 • Try it →
Z-Image (Alibaba) — iteration speed
Ultra-fast photorealistic model for validating ideas.
Z-ImageA corgi wearing a tiny white chef hat, kneading dough on a flour-dusted wooden table in a rustic Italian kitchen, warm afternoon sunlight streaming through a window, hanging copper pots in the background, cheerful mood, high-quality stock photo styleModel: Z-Image — test the idea in seconds for 1 credit.
Credits: from 1
Grok Imagine (xAI) — 6 images per request
T2I and I2I. Six variants per run — pick the best one.
Grok ImagineTransform this into a retro-futurist 1970s science fiction paperback book cover illustration, burnt orange and deep teal palette, thick painterly linework, Moebius-inspired style, pulp magazine composition, alien crystal flora and two moons in the skyModel: Grok Imagine (I2I) — reinterpreting a reference in a retro style in one shot.
Credits: from 2
FLUX Kontext — smart editing
Keeps subject identity while changing the environment. Background swap without losing style.
FLUX Kontext MaxKeep the central subject and composition identical, but transform the setting into a snowy Moscow winter scene at blue hour, soft falling snowflakes, subtle warm window glow in the background, preserve all facial features and materials, photorealistic resultModel: FLUX Kontext Max — environment swap while subject identity stays intact.
Credits: from 4
Midjourney Niji 6 — anime and illustration
Midjourney's specialized flavor for anime, manga and Japanese illustration. Accurate character proportions, dynamic poses.
Midjourney Niji 6Anime girl with silver hair, amber eyes and cat ears, sitting on a Tokyo rooftop at golden-hour sunset, cherry blossom petals drifting across the frame, distant city skyline bathed in warm light, Studio Ghibli inspired art direction, soft pastel palette, wistful atmosphere, detailed lineworkModel: Midjourney Niji 6 — canonical anime style without the usual AI jitter.
Credits: from 8
Higgsfield Soul — style transfer
Art style transfer with preserved subject identity.
Higgsfield SoulReinterpret the reference portrait in the post-impressionist style of Vincent Van Gogh: thick visible impasto brushstrokes, swirling turbulent sky behind the subject, vivid complementary colors, expressive linework following the form, preserve the subject identity and poseModel: Higgsfield Soul (I2I) — Van Gogh style applied while preserving the subject's features.
Comparison table
| Model | Max resolution | In-image text | I2I | Speed | Credits from | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midjourney V7 | 2K | Weak | No | Medium | 8 | Art, fashion, fantasy |
| FLUX 2 Pro | 2K | Excellent | No | ~10 sec | 3 | Precise prompts, design |
| GPT Image 1.5 | — | Best | Yes (16 ref.) | Medium | 2 | Infographics, e-commerce |
| Imagen 4 | — | Good | No | 3 tiers | 2 | Photorealism |
| SeedDream 5.0 Lite | 3K | Good | No | Fast | 3 | Complex scenes |
| Seedream 4.5 | 4K | Good | No | Medium | 3 | High resolution |
| Nano Banana 2 | 4K | Fair | No | Fast | 3 | Fast hyperrealism |
| Nano Banana Pro | 4K | Good | No | Medium | 5 | Premium hyperrealism |
| Z-Image | — | Fair | No | Very fast | 1 | Quick tests |
| Grok Imagine | — | Good | Yes | Medium | 2 | 6 variants |
| FLUX Kontext | — | Good | Yes | Medium | 4 | Editing |
| Niji 6 | 2K | Weak | No | Medium | 8 | Anime |
| Higgsfield Soul | — | No | Yes | Medium | 3 | Style transfer |
Which model should I pick
- Photorealism → Nano Banana 2 or Imagen 4 Ultra
- Art, stylization → Midjourney V7
- In-image text → GPT Image 1.5 or FLUX 2 Pro
- Photo editing → GPT Image 1.5 (I2I) or FLUX Kontext
- Transparent background → GPT Image 1.5
- Max resolution → Seedream 4.5 or Nano Banana 2 (4K)
- Anime → Midjourney Niji 6
- Style transfer → Higgsfield Soul
- Prompt testing → Z-Image (from 1 credit) or Nano Banana 2 (from 3)
- Product photography → Nano Banana Pro or Imagen 4
Generation parameters
Format — square (1:1), portrait (9:16), landscape (16:9). Pick to match your platform.
Quality — GPT Image: Medium for drafts, High for finals.
Seed — locks randomness. Same prompt + same seed ≈ same result. Great for image series.
Tips
- Style first — put it at the start of the prompt (first words carry more weight)
- Use negative prompts for portraits
- Iterate on Z-Image or Nano Banana 2, finalize on a top-tier model
- Specify lighting and lens type for photorealism
Put These Models to Work
Knowing which model fits which job is half the battle. For specific use cases — photo revival, product shots, YouTube thumbnails, art portraits — browse our 10 AI generation ideas with ready-to-use prompts. Each idea names the optimal model and includes a copy-ready prompt.
FAQ
How much does image generation cost?
1 to 8 credits per image. Z-Image from 1. Nano Banana 2 and Imagen 4 Fast from 2–3. Midjourney V7 is 8.
What's the maximum resolution?
4K — Seedream 4.5 and Nano Banana 2. Midjourney and FLUX — up to 2K. SeedDream 5.0 Lite — 3K.
Can I edit an existing photo?
Yes, I2I mode: GPT Image 1.5 (up to 16 references), FLUX Kontext, Grok Imagine, Higgsfield Soul.
How do I add text to an image?
GPT Image 1.5 is the best for text (Cyrillic, long phrases). Runner-up — FLUX 2 Pro.
Transparent background?
Only GPT Image 1.5 outputs RGBA PNG with a transparent background. Add "transparent background" to your prompt.
